Improvement in wind-wheels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. JOHNSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIND-WHEELS.V

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,350, dated May 25,1858.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMEs B. JOHNSON, of San Francisco, in the county ofSan Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and ImprovedVVind-XVheel; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure1 is a front or face view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the same taken in the line a: ai, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan ortop view of the saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists in a peculiar means employed for giving auniform speed to the Wheel during variable degrees of velocity of thewind.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a vertical framing or support, on the top of which ahorizontal plate B is attached. This plate B has a vertical annularledge a near its center, said ledge being concentric with the peripheryof the plate B, which is of circular form.

C is a horizontal plate of circulai' or approximate form havingfriction-rollers d attached to its under side, which rollers rest orbear on the plate B. Friction-rollers b are also attached to the underside of the plate C, said rollers being fitted in bent arms, so as to bein a horizontal position and bear against the outer side of the ledge o.The plate B projects a short distance over or beyond the side of theframing A, so that the bent ends of pendants c, which are attached tothe plate C, may project underneath the edge of plate B. By this meansthe plate C is allowed to turn freely on plate B, and at the same timeis firmly secured to it and no unnecessary play allowed. (See Fig. 2.)

D is a horizontal shaft, which is itted in bearings d on the plate C.This shaft has a pinion c placed on it, said pinion gearing into apinion fon the upper end of a shaft E, which is placed within theframing A, the lower end of shaft E being stepped in the lower end offraming A. y

F is a pulley placed on the shaft E, the

power being taken from said pulley. A gearwheel, however, may be usedinstead, if desired.

To the front end of the shaft D a windwheel G is secured. This wheel isconstructed as follows: A hub or boss H is attached to the end of shaftD, and four arms g are attached permanently and radially to said hub orboss. The arms g project from the hub or boss H at equal distancesapart, and to each arm g a fan or sail h is attached. These fans orsails may be constructed ot wood or metal and of the form shown in Fig.l, or an approximate foim may answer.

y Four armsz' are fitted in the hub or boss I-I between the arms g.These arms are not fitted permanently in the hub or boss, their lowerends being allowed to turn in their bearings To the arms 0l fans orsails t" are attached, one to each. The outer ends of the arms t' arefitted in rods 7c, which forni a rectangular frame, at the corners orangles of.

which the outer ends of the arms g are permanently attached, the outerends of the arms i being allowed to turn freely in the rods 7;., thearms L' of course being considerably shorter than the arms g. The lowerend of the arms t' are each bent for a short distance at right angleswith their main portions, as shown at Z, Fig. 2. To the outer end ofeach part Z of the arms t' a rod mis attached, and the rods m areconnected to a sliding plate or head I placed on the shaftD. The head Ihas a bentlever J connected with it, the fulcrum of which is at n. Theupper end of this lever is connected by a link o with one end of a leverK, which has its fulcrum at p on a bail or curved bar L, attached to theplate C. The opposite end of the leverK is connected with aball-governor M, which is provided with three balls q q q, the governorbeing driven by gearing `r s, the pinion r being on shaft D and thepinion 3 on the lower end ot' the governor-shaft t. (See Fig. 2.)

To the bac-k end of the plate C a geared or toothed segment N isattached. This segment is not in line with the shaft D. It is placed atone side, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

O is a vane, the rod P of which is pivoted to the plate C at u. This rodhas a pinion o attached to its under side, Said pinion gearing into thesegment N. The axis of the pin ion u has a pulley O attached, and a cordor chain Q passes around said pulley and has a weight S attached to itslower end, the end or chain passing through eyes or guides w.

The operation is as follows: When the wind is moderate, all of the sails7L 'i' are presented to the Wind at the proper angle, so as to receiveits full effective force; but if t-he velocity of the wind increasesbeyond a certain degree the wheel G by its rapid rotation will soinfluence the governor M that the sails z" will be turned in a reversedirection to the sails h in consequence of said governor acting upon therods 'L' of the sails 1l through the medium of the lever K, bent leverJ, and sliding head I, connected with the rods fr', as described. Thisturning of the sails i" in an oblique direction. opposite to the sails hof course will retard the speed of the wheel, the sails 7L beingstationary at all times. As the speed of the wheel diminishes, the sailst" are gradually brought back to their original position by the actionot' the governor, which operates of course in the usual Way. Byemploying the stationary and movable sails, as herein described, theWheel is made to rotate with a steadier motion than when all the sailsare made adjustable, as usual, the transitions from fast to slow andvice Versa will not be so quick, and the sudden jerks and consequentwear and tear of the working parts of the ordinary wheels and themachinery attached to and driven by them will be avoided.

In order to stop the wheel at any time, the attendant grasps the cord orchain Q and turns thereby the pulley O', and as said pulley O turnsthe'pinion o in consequence of gearing into the segment N turns the VaneO out of line with the shaft D, as shown in Fig. 3, and as the vane willbe turned in line with the wind by the action ofthe wind against it theWind-wheel Will consequently be thrown in an oblique position With thewind and the Wheel consequently stopped. This will be clearly understoodby referring to Fig. 3, in which the arrow 1 shows the direction of thewind and the relative position ot the wheel with it when the wheel isstopped.

I do not claim operating the adjustable sails L" by means of the slidinghead or plate I actuated bya governor through the medium of the levers,as shown,for this has been previously used. Nor do I claim the manner ofattaching the rotating plate C to the framing A, for this has also beenpreviously done; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

Constructing the wind-wheel G with stationary and adjustable sails h i',substantially as and for the purpose as herein set forth.

OHAs. A. HARPER, S. P. BURNHAM.

